Leg-spinner Jeffrey Vandersay will be joining the squad as a replacement but left-arm wrist-spinner Lakshan Sandakan is already with the team in India and could replace Herath in the starting XI.

Sri Lanka Cricket chief selector Graeme Labrooy said: “We were hoping that Rangana Herath will feel okay for Delhi. But having spoken to him and physio we feel that he should come back.

“We have got lot of cricket ahead and he is important for us. Our plan was to fly in Malinda Pushpakumara, but he has failed a fitness test. Vandersay will now be the replacement”.

The first Test of the series was drawn in Kolkata on a green pitch which favoured the seamers while he second Test was a more traditional Indian surface as home spinner Ravi Ashwin starred with the ball and reaching the 300-wicket milestone in the process.